May 2017 Trends & Highlights: Private Site Revamps, Rebranding, New Products and New Public Site Sections

This month, seven firms released eight new products—one savings account, one fund, one rider, one credit card, one insurance product and three annuities. Fidelity introduced sustainability-focused funds as well as an Attainable Savings Account for persons with disabilities to save without compromising their government benefits. Prudential launched a Legacy Protection Rider to protect wealth and growth potential for beneficiaries. US Bank announced the Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card which is exclusively for U.S. Bank customers and features flight and point rewards. MetLife unveiled Rapid Term Life Insurance, which it will sell online or over the phone. Pacific Life released the Pacific Index Advisory fee-based index annuity, Transamerica launched its Transamerica Inspire variable annuity and Brighthouse announced the Single Premium Deferred Annuity.

Four Firms Introduce New Public Site Sections

May saw many new public site pages appear by way of full sections. Lincoln added the Create a Financial Plan section, which features savings, insurance, legacy and education payment advice in four new pages. In line with the acquisition of TradeKing, Ally added an Invest section to compile investment product information and tools. Fidelity redesigned its public site navigation to reflect a new Planning & Advice section consisting of six new pages featuring existing content. Invesco’s Saving for College section features four new pages, and its Paying for College section links to three.

MAY HIGHLIGHTS

UBS and Chase Revamp Private Sites

The updated UBS private site mirrors the public site with its cleaner design and replaces the main navigation to create a more intuitive experience. New features include a customizable My Interests homepage section, an enhanced site search tool and an Account Summary page. The redesigned site footer can now be clearly discerned from the disclosures section and features six new links.

New UBS Private Site Homepage

Chase’s Small Business Card private site now features larger font, an updated color scheme, responsive design and revamped navigation. A new anchored header houses a hamburger menu. The site revamp emulates the August 2016 revamp of Chase’s banking and consumer credit card sites.

Revamped Chase Private Site Homepage

MassMutual Rebrands

MassMutual rebranded and revamped its public and private site to focus on interdependence. The new public site provides more educational resources and an updated life insurance needs calculator while the private site features consolidated account information and an improved automatic payment capability. To coincide with the brand refresh, the firm created a new ad campaign for television and social media.

New MassMutual Public Site Homepage

TradeKing Transitions to Ally Invest

One year after Ally Financial’s acquisition of TradeKing, investment accounts officially transferred this month. In light of this transition, Ally’s public site now features an Invest section dedicated to revamped TradeKing content, and the private site repurposes the TradeKing interface with Ally branding.

New Public Site Investing with Us Page (Truncated)

Introducing Janus to Mutual Fund Monitor – Advisor

This month, Mutual Fund Monitor – Advisor added Janus, known for its expertise in security selection, portfolio construction and asset allocation, to the coverage group.